Greg Hinz On Politics

Kirk offers compromise in Chicago River war

U.S. Senate hopeful Mark Kirk Tuesday proposed a compromise of sorts in the debate about what to do with the Chicago River, saying it still should run out of Lake Michigan but all Chicago sewage waste should be disinfected.

And, at a Chicago press conference, he said fellow Republican Bill Brady, the GOP nominee for governor, ought to pay some income tax despite losses in his family's construction business.

Stepping into a growing national dispute about pollution, the river and the feared Asian carp, Mr. Kirk drew a line between his views and those of his Democratic foe, Alexi Giannoulias, who has backed the concept of returning the river back to its original lakeward flow.

Doing so presents "risks" to the safety of Northeast Illinois' drinking water, to local jobs and to taxpayers who would have to pay for the conversion, he said.

Unless those risks are removed, "You should say 'no' " to the idea, said Mr. Kirk.

But more steps are needed, the North Shore Republican added.

In general, dumping waste into any of the Great Lakes should be banned unless the effluent is "pristine," he said. Big fines should be paid by any city, including Chicago, that dumps untreated waste along with storm water into any of the lakes after a heavy rain.

In addition, Chicago's Water Reclamation District should be required to not only treat but disinfect effluent before it is dumped into the Chicago River, which flows south eventually to the Mississippi River.

The cost would be reasonable, Mr. Kirk said, citing an old estimate of $3 per month per household.

The district's current Deep Tunnel project is sufficient for almost all storms, he said, but needs to be put "on steroids" for the rare exceptions. How much that would cost depends on how much the Chicago area's population grows in coming decades, he said.

The paramount goal is to secure the drinking water of millions of Chicago-area residents, the reason why the river was reversed in the first place a century ago, Mr. Kirk said. "This is our crown jewel."

On other matters, he said there is a big difference between the financial situation of Mr. Giannoulias and Mr. Brady, even though neither has had any income-tax liability of late due to reversals in their families' businesses.

The difference is that "the Giannoulias family transferred this incredible $394-million bill" to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. when its Broadway Bank recently collapsed, he said.

But, in the same way that Mr. Giannoulias ought to pay something because he draws a state paycheck as Illinois treasurer, so should Mr. Brady, a state senator, Mr. Kirk said.

"If you are dependent on a salary paid by the taxpayers, you ought to pay tax," Mr. Kirk said. "You ought to find a way to pay taxes."

Mr. Kirk also seemed to hint that national GOP Chairman Michael Steele ought to step down after a series of verbal stumbles, including his suggestion that the war in Afghanistan is "(Barack) Obama's war."

"It's up to Chairman Steele to reassess his position and leadership," Mr. Kirk said.

The candidate also said he still is reviewing the record and has no opinion yet on whether Elena Kagan should be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court.